


Persuasive Tactics

by thewrittennerd



Series: Persuasive Series [1]
Category: FBI (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:33:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24151363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewrittennerd/pseuds/thewrittennerd
Summary: As a single divorced father to four kids, Jubal Valentine thinks he's faring alright. As a single widowed mother to twin girls, Maggie Bell is getting by each day. And then fate intervenes to bring Maggie & Jubal into each other's lives before she starts working for the FBI fieldhouse. Mabal slow burn, rated for future chapters
Relationships: Dana Mosier & Jubal Valentine, Maggie Bell & OA Zidan, Maggie Bell/Jubal Valentine
Series: Persuasive Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786276
Comments: 13
Kudos: 4





	1. Table of Contents

**Soundtrack List** : A list of the songs used throughout Persuasive Tactics.

 **Cast** : Meet the main characters in Persuasive Tactics

 **Chapter 1** : Maggie Bell starts her first day with the FBI field house in Manhattan.

 **Chapter 2** : Maggie goes on her first undercover operation with Jubal Valentine, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge.

 **Chapter 3** : Maggie & Jubal continue with their undercover operation but are both injured after an explosion at the club where it's taking place.

 **Chapter 4** : Maggie wakes up in the hospital and meets Samantha, Jubal's ex-wife; the mother of his four children Juliet, Tyler, Jordan, and Abigail.

 **Chapter 5** : A man from Maggie's past makes a reappearance in her life.


	2. Soundtrack List

**Persuasive Tactics – Soundtrack List**

Here I Am – Bryan Adams

I Need You – Leann Rimes

(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight – Peter Cetera, Crystal Bernard

Til They Take My Heart Away – Clair Marlo

If Love is Blind – Tiffany

Runaway – The Corrs

Breathe – Ronan Keating

As Long as We're in Love – Ronan Keating

One of a Kind – Ronan Keating, Emili Sande

Uncharted– Sara Bareilles

Hold My Heart – Sara Bareilles

A Safe Place to Land – Sara Bareilles, John Legend

It's Gonna Be Love – Mandy Moore

If You Believe – Rachael Lampa

Destiny – Jim Brickman, Jordan Hill

Something About the Way You Look Tonight – Elton John

Armor – Landon Austin

Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker, Jennifer Warnes

Feel It – Michele Morrone


	3. Cast List

Jeremy Sisto as Jubal Valentine  
Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell

Kaitlyn Dever as Juliet Valentine

Caleb Reese Paul as Tyler & Jordan Valentine

Talia Cuomo as Abigail Valentine

Brooklynn Prince as Matilda "Mattie" & Jillian Bell

**Others:**

Mara Davi as Samantha Burnett (formerly Valentine) (adoptive mother of Juliet; mother of Tyler, Jordan and Abigail)

Elisa Donovan as Ramona Callaghan (formerly Valentine) (Juliet's bio mom)


	4. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**  
There were a few things that made the list of what Maggie Bell detested the most – and being stuck in an insane traffic jam just about topped the list. Thankfully she'd already dropped the twins off at school so now all that Maggie had to worry about was being late to her first day working for the FBI field house in Manhattan. Glancing at the clock in her SUV's dash, Maggie lets out a soft groan before sending a text to Dana Mosier, her new boss. **I'm running a bit behind. Stuck in the worst traffic jam EVER.** Pressing send, Maggie sets her phone on her right thigh.

Within nanoseconds Dana's response comes buzzing through to Maggie's cell phone and the brunette turns the phone's screen back up, nearly laughing aloud at the text. **Take your time. I'll explain why you're going to be late or I can send Jubal on foot to get you.**

 **Which one is Jubal?** Maggie types quickly back. **I forgot.**

At the field house Dana snaps a quick photo of Jubal in profile then sends the photo to Maggie. Jubal looks up just then, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion & curiosity. “Did you just take a photo of me?”

“Curiosity killed the cat, Agent Valentine,” Dana responds with a mysterious smile.

“You know I've always been more of a dog person, Dana,” Jubal says with a slight frown. “Now who'd you send the photo to?”

“That's for me to know and you to figure out – on your own,” Dana replies, the mysterious smirk still evident on her face as she grabs his FBI jacket and tosses it in his direction. “I need a favor. Maggie Bell, the new female agent I hired, is stuck in traffic.”

Jubal, after catching his jacket in one hand, groans. “You owe me for this, Dana,” he says before heading out to go find Maggie.

Kristen Chazal, the team's analyst, looks at Dana. “You're totally trying to set them up!”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Dana replies. “Jubal needs a good woman after his & Samantha's divorce became finalized.”

“And Maggie? What do you think she needs?” Kristen asks.

“A man that would make her smile & laugh again,” Dana replies.

Kristen nods. “I hope you can make it happen,” she tells the agent in charge.

Dana smiles in response before they get back to work on the latest case. Meanwhile Maggie hums to herself as she drums on her car's steering wheel before yelping in fright when the front passenger door whips open. Jubal smiles to calmly reassure her before pointing to first her car keys and then the duffel bag in the front seat. “My SUV is around the corner, we'll take it back,” he tells her.

“What about mine?” Maggie asks, her earlier smile creasing into a frown.

“I'll come back for it in that parking garage over there,” Jubal says, pointing to the said garage past her left shoulder.

Maggie turns to look where he's pointing, nods, and honks her way through to get into the parking garage. Which is relatively empty, thankfully, as Jubal follows behind her car on foot. After locking her car once Jubal has the duffel bag, Maggie hurries along beside him as they walk out of the garage. Outside, Maggie pauses. “You're Jordan's father,” she observes.

“How do you know Jordan?” Jubal asks, turning to her in surprise when she mentioned his son's name.

“You and I have met before, when we were both called to the elementary school,” Maggie tells him.

“Oh right, you're the mom of those adorable little girls. What are their names again?” Jubal asks her.

“Mattie & Jillian,” Maggie replies, the pride evident in her facial expression.

“Right, and Jordan protected Mattie from the school bully,” Jubal says, smiling softly at the nod Maggie gives him.

“And both girls got a friend in your daughter Abigail because of that,” Maggie mentions. “Which leads to my next question. Can we keep all of that away from work?”

“Of course,” Jubal replies as he helps her into his dark gray SUV, placing the duffel bag at her feet. Maggie closes the door herself then waits until Jubal has gotten into the driver's seat to buckle herself in and settles back for the short drive.

After arriving Maggie follows behind Jubal and nods when he indicates where to take her duffel bag. She returns a few minutes later and is immediately cornered by Dana. “So…”

“So…nothing. He did what you asked and I'm here,” Maggie says, walking to the group gathered around a computer and discussing their latest case. When one of them brings up having to go undercover, Maggie jumps in. “I'll do it.”

The group stare at her in shock before Dana gestures for Maggie to follow herself & Jubal to Jubal's shared office with Dana. Maggie does so, standing silent as Dana leans against the desk on the palms of her hands. “You haven't even been here for an hour, Maggie. Are you sure about this?”

“Not that my opinion matters, but I believe that she's ready for this, Dana,” Jubal pipes in to say before Maggie gets a chance to speak up. “And I'll take the assignment with her.”

Dana nods. “Okay, let's get things rolling.”

They return to the others before heading down to the wardrobe department. While Dana walks in there with the rest of the group, Maggie pulls Jubal aside. “You didn't have to take this assignment with me. I could've gone by myself.”

“And miss the opportunity?” Jubal asks, feigning shock as he places one hand over his heart. “I'm wounded.”

“I mean it. Like Dana said, it's my first day and already I'm wanting to prove myself for her,” Maggie tells him.

“Then let's work together. I can be your coach & guide during your first undercover op,” Jubal says, bending down slightly to make her look him in the eye.

“Oh well, I guess that'd be alright,” Maggie replies, the palms of her hands laying flat against his chest. As if they belonged there, Jubal's heart begins to race faster & faster at her simple touch. She jerks both hands away as if his heart racing had caused some kind of burn before turning to walk through the wardrobe department's door to join the others.

Jubal sighs to himself.

_How had he already managed to screw up?_


	5. Chapter 2

**_Previously, in Persuasive Tactics, Maggie Bell starts her first day as an FBI agent in Manhattan's field house. It's also discovered that she already knows Jubal Valentine, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge._  
  
Chapter Two**  
It took the wardrobe department a few hours but soon Maggie emerges from the changing room area in a completely different outfit than the one she'd put on that morning. Jubal, whose own outfit didn't take long at all, feels his eyes grow bigger at the sight of her in the dress. Sleeveless, it had a round neck that provides enough swell from her breasts without going overboard. The hem of her dress flares out in a kind of skirt appropriate enough for the club where the undercover op would be at and in Maggie's hair is a blue carnation flower clip, holding the soft curls back up away from one ear; the rest of her hair left to cover one shoulder. “Wow,” is all that Jubal manages to let emerge from his mouth.  
  
Maggie smiles at the one-word compliment as she steps over to the team of tech experts. One of them works to place a tiny camera just between the metal teeth in Maggie's hair clip before smiling politely at her. “You're all set, ma'am.”  
  
“Please, call me Maggie while we're on the job,” Maggie says, returning the polite smile.  
  
“Okay…Maggie,” the young woman says before rushing off with her boss.  
  
“Already making friends, I see,” Jubal says as he holds up a soft denim jacket and a shaw, both items of clothing on hangers in his curled index & middle fingers. Maggie points to the shaw before waiting as he puts the jacket back with the other clothes then walks over to her. Whipping the shawl around her shoulders, Jubal lets his hands linger for a moment as he gazes down into her eyes. “Are you ready for a night of dance & romance, Rose?”  
  
“I'm ready whenever you are, Zach,” Maggie replies with a soft smile.  
  
Offering his arm, Jubal leads her out to where the unit is waiting for them by the van. Omar Zidan, whom Dana had introduced as O.A., lets out a low whistle. Dana is talking to Kristen inside the van when she hears this and climbs down, smiling at the pair. “Are you two ready?”  
  
“We were born ready,” Jubal says in a joking tone.  
  
“We're ready, Dana,” Maggie says in a more serious tone, though there's a hint of a smile beginning to form in her eyes.  
  
Everyone gets into their respective vehicles – the one Jubal drives Maggie in a loaner from the auto shop nearby – and heads to the club.  
  
Outside the swanky dance club, Jubal emerges from the driver's side of the Camaro; handing the keys to one of the club's valets. “Don't get one scratch on her,” he says in a warning tone.  
  
From behind Jubal, Maggie begins to giggle in an airy sort of manner. “Don't scare the boy, Zach,” she tells Jubal before pressing a playful nip to the lobe of his ear.  
  
Jubal bites back a groan at the intimate gesture, placing his hands over her own on his chest. “Sorry Rosie, you know how I am about the car,” he says.  
  
“I know but we're here to have fun and not worry,” Maggie tells him, guiding him forward to the crowd gathered outside the club. Giggling a bit more as he twirls her around Maggie walks beside Jubal into the club.  
  
Following his lead Maggie remains silent as they approach a group of people gathered for what looked to be a private party. “Manuel!” Jubal says in an enthusiastic tone to get the other man's attention.  
  
“Do I know you?” the man of Hispanic background demands in a low, gravelly voice.  
  
“It's me, Zach. We have mutual friends in the trading business,” Jubal says, offering the hand he wasn't using to hold Maggie to him by her waist.  
  
“No tengo idea de lo que quieres decir,” Manuel says thickly, leaning forward. ( _“I have no idea what you mean.”_ )  
  
“Naw, come on, hermano. I'm willing to trade one of your girls for mine,” Jubal says, trying to reason with the Hispanic criminal. ( _“brother”_ )  
  
Maggie watches Jubal from her spot at his hip before reaching out to offer one hand to Manuel. “Rose at your service, senor,” she says in a purr. ( _“sir”_ )  
  
Manuel gives her a once-over before taking her hand, tugging her away from Jubal and into his lap. Slipping further into her Rose persona, Maggie caresses his cheek as another girl that had been sitting on Manuel's other tight starts to pout. “What about me, Manny?”  
  
Jubal bends forward to grasp the woman's hand. “How 'bout we go somewhere more private, novio?” ( _“sweetheart”_ )  
  
She nods, stands and follows behind him; frowning when Jubal leads her out of the club through the kitchen. “Where are we going!? What's going on!?” she demands in a screeching voice that would make nails on a chalkboard look bad.  
  
Outside in the alley Jubal turns, flashing his badge at the woman. “Assistant Special Agent in Charge, FBI Agent Jubal Valentine. I need you to tell me everything you know about Manuel Ramirez,” Jubal says while returning his badge to the back pocket of his dark denim jeans.  
  
“If you're FBI, does that mean…?” she asks, indicating the club.  
  
“Yes. Now if you cooperate, we can promise full immunity and put you in WitSec. But only if you tell us everything you know about Manuel Ramirez,” Jubal says, his hand on the small of her back as he walks her out of the alley and over to the van waiting at the curb opposite of the club.  
  
Back inside the club, Maggie smiles at Manuel as he feels her up. “Tell me about yourself, Rosa,” he says.  
  
“There isn't much to tell. Both of my parents are gone and I'm raising my little sisters alone,” Maggie says, stretching her own life tale a bit.  
  
“How old are your sisters?” Manuel asks, his expression turning serious.  
  
“They're six, and adopted,” Maggie replies, playing with a button on Manuel's halfway buttoned shirt. Manuel puts his hand over hers. “But enough of my sob story. I want to know something about you…hey!” Maggie is gently shoved out of the club by Jubal and whirls to face him once they're sort of alone. “What the hell's going on? I was about to get to know about him.”  
  
“Amber already beat you to it. Now we're going to get him to actually confess to the murders,” Jubal says.  
  
“Murders? I thought he was in the trading business,” Maggie says with a slight frown.


	6. Chapter 3

**Shout-out to my reviewers** :  
  
 **probably a reader** : You're so awesome, and I love your FBI story “Drunken Night”.  
  
 **Ghostwriter** : My loyal reviewer, as always showing up to put a smile on my face.  
  
 ** _Previously, in “Persuasive Tactics”, Maggie goes on her first undercover operation with Jubal._  
  
Chapter Three**  
“He _is_ but three of the girls he traded went missing within the last few months and no one could figure out how or why,” Jubal explains. “And Amber has proof but we just need to get his spoken confession.”  
  
“So how are we going to have this play out? Are we doing it by ear or planning a strategy?” Maggie asks.  
  
“I need you and Amber both to play the seducer,” Jubal tells her.  
  
Nearby the same girl who'd helped Maggie with her camera/mic is helping Amber with hers. “Is this gonna work? What if it doesn't? What if I screw up the whole thing?” Elaina, the tech girl, looks over at Maggie for help.  
  
Maggie comes over and gently places her hands onto Amber's shoulders. “Amber, look at me. Now repeat after me: I can do this.”  
  
The redhead does so as she takes a deep breath along with Maggie. “I can do this.”  
  
“Good. Now say, I am strong,” Maggie coaches her.  
  
“I am strong,” Amber repeats.  
  
A smile forms on Jubal's face as he watches Maggie's coaching making an impact for when they'd go back into the club. Once Maggie had helped Amber calm down from her mini panic attack, they return to the club. Manuel and one of his cohorts but one of the female bartenders – a friend of Amber's – points to the upstairs VIP section. Taking Maggie's hand in her own, Amber leads her over to the stairs; going up two at a time once she gets a nod from the bouncer. Slipping into character, Maggie tugs on Amber's hand; making the redhead turn to her. “I thought Manuel didn't allow his girls to come up here?”  
  
“We both have an in now,” Amber tells her with a smile.  
  
Maggie nods and they keep going up the stairs until they come to a stop at the door. Amber knocks lightly then opens it to step inside with Maggie following behind her. Once safely tucked into the private room, one of Manuel's guards comes over to do the routine pat down but Amber shakes her head. “Is that really necessary? Manuel knows we're here.”  
  
“You know it's my job, Amber,” the guard says with a soft scowl.  
  
“You can do your job next time,” Amber tells him with a grin.  
  
He grumbles and walks off to the bar set up in one corner. In a back office Manuel is engaged in a heated argument with one of his friends that's also in the trading business. “We need to make the brunette disappear,” Manuel says, pacing back & forth.  
  
“How do you suggest we do that, hermano? Our options are pretty slim,” his friend replies.  
  
“By any means necessary,” Manuel says before dismissing his friend from their brief meeting.  
  
Amber, who'd been listening to the conversation near the door to the office, rushes back over to Maggie. Grabbing her hand Amber pulls her into one of the booths & pulls the curtain shut just seconds before Manuel's friend emerges to head out from the club. Maggie frowns in confusion & curiosity. “What is it, Amber? Is everything okay?” she asks in concern.  
  
“They want to make you disappear!” Amber hisses low in Maggie's left ear.  
  
Outside the club Jubal removes his ear piece with a soft, frustrated yell. “You don't know that they're even talking about Maggie, Jubal,” Dana says; knowing her attempt to reassure, soothe, him might fail but at least she could try.  
  
“They are. I can feel it in my gut,” Jubal says, the tone of his voice softer than a moment ago with his reaction. He blows out an unsteady breath; leaning into the gentle, maternal touch from Dana on his upper back. “Thanks. I needed that.”  
  
“That's what I'm here to do,” Dana tells him, a soft smile on her lips. Even though she hadn't told the team, her daughter Eleanor knew that Dana had plans to step down and retire. Hand the reigns over to Isobel Castille, keep Jubal as the ASAC. Returning to the task at hand, Dana doesn't realize her hand is left in mid-air; turning to barely see Jubal rushing to climb down & out of the van. Hurrying to catch up with him Dana stops when she sees that Jubal is on his cell phone.  
  
“Daddy, how long will this op go for?” Abigail asks, her tone sad.  
  
“No, hey, sweetheart. Please don't be sad. I'm hoping this won't last long but in case it does, I want you to keep praying for me, okay? Can you do that for me?”  
  
“Yeah, Daddy,” Abigail replies, her tone brightening a bit though it still held a detection of sadness. “I love you, Daddy. Stay safe out there.”  
  
“I promise, from the bottom of my heart,” Jubal tells her. “Daddy loves you so much.” He ends the phone call with a heavy sigh then turns to see Dana standing there. “Hey. I was just…”  
  
“I heard. Please don't do anything reckless, Jubal. I don't want two funerals in one day,” Dana admonishes him, switching her maternal side back on.  
  
“Okay,” Jubal replies firmly; ending their conversation with a quick, fleeting kiss to the side of her head before walking in the direction of the club.  
  
And then an explosion sends the street into a tremble; sending Jubal flying as Dana cries out his name in anguish while Stuart Scola tackles & covers, protects her.


	7. Chapter 4

**Shout-out to my reviewers** :  
  
 **probably a reader** : Working on the update fast, writing by hand can be difficult!  
  
 **Ghostwriter** : Update coming soon!  
  
 **Mistra Rose** : Always nice to see a new fan! Thanks for the review, more soon!  
  
 ** _Previously, in “Persuasive Tactics”, Maggie and Jubal continue with their undercover op to bring down a criminal who trades girls on the black market. Jubal is injured after an explosion at the club where the op is taking place._  
  
Author's Note**: Chapters 5 & 6 will see a change in Maggie & Jubal's relationship but how big of a change will remain to be seen until I've posted the chapters.  
  
 **Chapter Four**  
Maggie groans & coughs then glances around her as the smoke begins to clear. Her gaze falls to Amber, quickly scooting over but crying out in pain when she couldn't move very far. “Amber, can you hear me?” Maggie gets a tiny groan in response so the agent leans forward to focus on seeing what keeping her from going anywhere. Just above and slightly behind her kneecap was a fairly large piece of glass and Maggie reaches up to grasp the flower hair clip with a trembling hand. Removing the clip from her hair Maggie brings it down in front of her face. “I don't know if you guys can see or hear me but we need some ambulances. I'm okay and so is Amber but I've got a piece of glass stuck in my leg.”  
  
“Yeah, Maggie, we read you loud and clear,” Kristen says before calling for the ambulances. When they arrive the African-American FBI analyst directs them to the club and to where Jubal lays on the ground, groaning.  
  
From a safe distance with a blanket covering her shoulders Dana watches Kristen work her magic with the paramedics. “She'll make a fine agent one day, don't you think?” the older woman asks Stuart, a recent transfer from the D.C. office, in a quiet tone.  
  
Stuart's gaze flickers to where Dana is looking, nodding once. “Yeah, I do agree; she deserves a shot to be one of us,” he replies with a smile, though it didn't quite meet his eyes.  
  
Down the street Jubal attempts to sit up but lays back with a groan when his head would only throb in pain. A paramedic notices him and moves over to him. “Sir, can you hear me?”  
  
Jubal can only groan in response and the paramedic waves their partner over to help. Within a few hours Maggie is waking up to the steady beeping of a machine nearby but also to the warm steady breath on her cheek. Glancing down at the weight on her chest Maggie smiles, not surprised to see Abigail Valentine laying there asleep. When Maggie had first met the Valentine family…well that was an explanation all of its own. But Maggie's brief memory slips away as her gaze flickers to the man asleep in the chair beside her bed. She stifles a laugh at the sight he made with her two girls asleep on his chest, Jubal's mouth open slightly; drool caked to his chin.  
  
Maggie is about to reach out for his hand when movement outside the door to her hospital room catches her eye. “Mom, they're in here,” she hears Tyler Valentine call down the corridor and Maggie knows it's Samantha, Jubal's ex-wife. When she walks into the room Samantha greets Maggie with a soft genuine smile. “So you're the mom of the two girls Abigail can't seem to stop blabbering on about. It's nice to finally put a face to the name,” the redhead says before taking a sip from her to-go coffee mug. And then, with a wave of her hand, Maggie is left alone again with everyone still sleeping around her.  
  
Turning her head as much as she could with the top of Abigail's head pretty close to her chin, Maggie watches Jubal sleep with her girls tucked into the chair on either side of him. “Date me,” Maggie hears Jubal mumble in a sleepy but still distinctive voice; surprising the female agent.  
  
“Undercover me or regular me?” Maggie asks. She had to make sure he really meant what he was saying.  
  
Sitting up slightly straighter Jubal opens his eyes a little, staring into Maggie's eyes. “Maggie Louise Bell, will you do me the great honor of going out with me?”  
  
A few hours later nine different pairs of eyes blink in surprise after hearing the news about the date proposal. “Are you kidding me!?” Sam asks in demand & surprise as she and Jubal eat dinner in the hospital cafeteria. “We've just barely let the ink dry on the divorce papers and you're already proposing a date to another woman!?”  
  
“What should I have done, asked her to marry me instead!? We both know how well that worked out,” Jubal says in a flat monotone.  
  
“You're so infuriating, Jubal. Just you wait, the relationship won't end well for either of you,” Sam replies before getting up to walk the kids out.  
  
Jubal sighs. He knows Sam is right, he was rushing into this in a head over heels tumble. Back in Maggie's hospital room, the older of her twins looks at Maggie. “Daddy would want you to be happy again, Mommy,” Mattie tells her mother.  
  
Jillian, the quieter of the two, pipes up in agreement. “You should _totally_ say yes, Mommy!”  
  
“Oh I should, huh?” Maggie says with a grin, reaching out to tickle Jillian as her daughter sits on Kristen's lap.  
  
Dana & Kristen exchange a smile at this, knowing without a word that their plan to nudge Maggie & Jubal into taking a chance would work after all.


	8. Chapter 5

**Shout-out to my reviewers** :  
  
 **probably a reader** : Your kind words truly made my day! I'm glad you're still enjoying this, more soon!  
  
 **Ghostwriter** : Thank you!  
  
 **Mistra Rose** : No review or thoughts on this? I hope you'll like this chapter better!  
  
 ** _Previously, in “Persuasive Tactics”, Maggie is injured from the explosion at the club and wakes up at the hospital. Jubal's ex-wife Sam issues him a warning after learning from him that he'd proposed a date to Maggie._  
  
Chapter Five**  
Returning to work didn't take long for either Maggie or Jubal. With his concussion and her injured leg, their kids wrangled the two agents into staying at one house, Jubal's. Lucky for Maggie, he had the entire basement of the house all to himself; his four kids' bedrooms were upstairs. Juliet, Jubal's oldest daughter, had been visiting her biological mother in the psych ward when Jubal was brought to the hospital. The teenager made sure her brothers and sister, as well as Maggie's girls, stayed upstairs and checked on Jubal & Maggie every few hours.  
  
Walking into the kitchen on the morning after her doctors give her the all clear for work, Maggie is surprised to see Jubal. “I thought you'd already left for work,” she says, accepting the travel mug of coffee from him.  
  
Jubal shrugs. “Jules took my car in for me, with the excuse that there was no sense for the two of us to drive in separate vehicles, something like that,” he replies.  
  
Maggie nods. “As long as I get to be the one driving,” she says with a grin and a shrug. Jubal laughs as he follows her out the French style patio door to her car. Halfway there Maggie hears her name being called up by the street. Laughing the FBI agent makes her way carefully over to the man dressed in casual attire. Jubal's face scrunches up in further confusion when Maggie flings her arms around the man who was slightly taller than Jubal himself. “I didn't realize you were back in town, Uncle Elliot. Why didn't you call? Does Liv know that you're back in town?” Maggie asks all at once.  
  
Elliot Stabler chuckles, pressing an affectionate kiss to Maggie's forehead. “No Liv doesn't know that I'm back, and I'd like to keep it that way,” he tells her before nodding his head in Jubal's direction after noticing his obvious confusion. “He your boyfriend?”  
  
“Actually, he's my boss. We were living together temporarily while we were both recovering from undercover operation related injuries,” Maggie replies, turning a little to wave Jubal over.  
  
With reluctance Jubal makes his way over to where Maggie stands with this strange guy. “Who's this, Maggie?” Jubal asks with confusion and curiosity.  
  
“Jubal, I'd like you to meet Elliot Stabler. Elliot, this is…”  
  
“The man that looks like someone I used to work with,” Elliot says with a slight frown.  
  
Jubal shrugs his broad shoulders. “I get that a lot these days,” he simply says before glancing at Maggie. “Do you want me to go on ahead?”  
  
“No, I'll go with you,” Maggie replies before turning to Elliot. “Don't be a stranger, okay? The girls would love to see you.”  
  
He nods and gives her another hug before watching her walk to where Jubal waits. At the parking garage, Maggie turns off the ignition to her SUV and turns to look at Jubal. “There's nothing romantic going on between us if that's what you're worried about. His ex-wife is, was, Jason's aunt. He couldn't come to the funeral but at least he was courteous enough to send a bouquet of flowers with Kathy,” Maggie says, turning away with a sigh and staring out the window.  
  
With a gentle yet shaky hand, Jubal lifts it up to cradle the back of Maggie's head, easing it around. “I don't think that at all, Maggie. Your life is your own so who am I to tell you who you can and can't have in your life? But it also doesn't mean that I worry any less about you and your well-being.” Once Jubal gets that out in the open, he draws little circles on the back of Maggie's neck, inching his face closer to her own.  
  
Maggie pulls a movie faster than Jubal does, throwing all of her caution into the wind, framing his cheeks in her hands to pull his face closer to her own. Maggie then boldly, and passionately, kisses Jubal right square on the lips. Surprising both herself and Jubal, Maggie is about to pull herself back but the softest flick of Jubal's tongue sweeps across Maggie's lips. Though startled, at first, Maggie is quick in returning the tongue sweep, engaging Jubal in a heated tango. “Jubal,” Maggie somehow manages to whisper out, speaking against his lips.  
  
Before he can respond, however, the ring tone alert he has for all four of his kids goes off. Pulling back from the kiss with a frustrated groan, Maggie's own irritation melts into concern as she watches Jubal's face etch itself into a deep, creasing frown. “Damn,” Jubal mutters before he lifts his head to stare right into Maggie's eyes. “We've got a situation at all three schools. Time to call my friend Jess LaCroix.”


	9. Chapter 9

_**Previously, in “Persuasive Tactics”, Maggie and Jubal share their first kiss after running into Elliot Stabler, a former detective with N.Y.P.D.'s Special Victims Unit and in-law to Maggie's deceased husband Jason.** _

**Chapter Six**

“Jubal, you're scaring me. What kind of a situation are we talking about?” Dana's successor Isobel Castille asks, as her eyes follow Jubal's nervous, furious pacing in front of the Joint Operations Center, also known as the J.O.C. “Jubal. Talk to me. Which kid are you more worried about?”

All of them, including Maggie's two girls, Jubal thinks to himself, worry etched in his face. At her desk, Maggie alternates between picking up her phone to check the screen and setting the phone back down. In concern, Maggie's partner Omar Adom "O.A." Zidan reaches over to take her hand into his much larger one. Maggie doesn't flinch as he does this, managing to flicker a tiny smile in his direction and turning the palm of her hand over to intertwine their fingers together with a trustworthy, sibling slash work partner kind of gesture. “We will figure out who is behind this,” O.A. reassures both his partner and their boss.

Jubal nods and, walking over to Maggie, kneels to her level. Taking the hand O.A. isn't holding, Jubal gives the woman he'd shared an unforgettable kiss with just a couple of hours ago a serious and professional look. “How do you want to handle this, as a mother or as an FBI agent?”

“Am I going to sound selfish if I say that I want to do both?” Maggie asks the man in front of her, a sheepish smile flickering across her lips.

“Not in the least. We'll follow your lead on this,” Jubal replies, returning Maggie's smile with one of his reassuring ones. With that said Jubal, with help from O.A., guides Maggie to her feet. Bringing her up to the front of the J.O.C., Jubal remains glued to Maggie's side as he watches Isobel work her magic in order to get all of her employees to turn their attention toward the front. “As many of you may or may not know, I'm a divorced father of four. And right now I'm also informing you that Maggie has twin girls as well. And, at the moment, the elementary, middle and high schools are being held hostage by the family of some criminals Maggie helped put away back when she was still just a cop in Indiana. We'd both like it if you'd help us bring all six of our children home safe and sound.”

The room is silent for a few minutes before agents, technicians and analysts erupt in chaotic frenzy of hard-working people yelling out orders and questions to the people who sit in their "row" of work stations. Jubal looks at Isobel, who just gives a brief shrug for a response. “I guess they want to solve this quickly and quietly for you two. Speaking of, why don't both of you hang out in my office for the rest of the day?”

Jubal looks down at the woman standing before him and Maggie gives him an affirmative nod before looking at Isobel. “Thank you. Bring them home, please,” she says, her voice soft.

“I'm planning on it. Go relax and let me handle it,” Isobel replies.

Maggie nods before she and Jubal head to Isobel's office. Just inside the doorway, Maggie wraps her slender hand around Jubal's much larger wrist to stop his movements. He turns toward her, confusion & curiosity making the lines in his forehead crease into worry wrinkle lines. “What is it, Maggie?”

“When this is all over and they're home, safe and sound, I want to stay the night with you,” Maggie tells him. “As more than colleagues.”

Before the words were even out of her mouth, Jubal's head lowers down to Maggie's, his lips laying claim to hers with the firm intention of being searing and downright scorching. “That's just a preview, Agent Bell,” Jubal whispers against her lips. “There will be more where that came from later.”

“I look forward to it, Valentine,” Maggie responds, her vocal tone a low murmur. A soft smile tugs the corner of Jubal's lips before he lifts his head to press an affectionate kiss to Maggie's forehead.

* * *

At the middle school, despite the teacher telling he and Jordan to sit still, Tyler makes his way over to where Tali LaCroix is occupied by a conversation with her friends. Tali glances up and over at Tyler, going back briefly to her conversation with her friends before turning to him. “I thought a lot about what you had mentioned earlier on the school bus, and I think it's a great plan. One of my dad's coworkers is a great hacker. I can have her hack into Dad's and your mom's phones in order to send the messages.”

“Great. We need to think of the first message,” Tyler says, moving over to get an empty notebook from his backpack.

* * *

Pacing back and forth, and alternating by sitting on the edge of a desk at FBI's field office headquarters, Jess LaCroix finds himself fixated by the email which has just appeared in the inbox. His eyes skim through the message itself, frowning in concentration at who this “S” person has to be before he goes back to read. Removing his reading glasses from the front pocket of his flannel shirt, Jess finds himself an empty desk to occupy for the time being before increasing the tiny font of the email's contents just a bit and begins to silently read through the email.

_Dear J,_

_How can I really start this letter besides the insane attraction that I feel is brewing between us? To feel your strong fingers running through my red hair as our skin touches and we're rolling around on your bed._

_\- - S_


	10. Chapter 7

**_Previously, in “Persuasive Tactics”, Maggie and Jubal's kids, Tali LaCroix and Clinton & Abiola “Abby” (Valentine) Skye's kids are held hostage at their schools. _ **

** Chapter Seven **

Soft, warm breath whispers over the skin of Maggie's forehead as she turns onto her side and snuggles tighter against Jubal. He tightens his arm around her and begins snoring in a soft manner.

Today's ordeal had worn them both out enough that neither Maggie or Jubal had taken their work clothes off before falling asleep on top of the covers on Jubal's bed. Sometime during the night, however, they both discovered that they'd been stripped of their work clothes, and knew it had to be Jubal's sister Abiola, a local doctor and her husband Clinton Skye, a fellow FBI agent and member of their sister task force Most Wanted.

In the morning Maggie awakens to excited chatter from one floor above her and Jubal, reaching out with one slender arm to feel around for him. Feeling only cool sheets, Maggie sits up on her elbows and listens to the muffled voices as feet softly pad on the floor.

Upstairs Abby and Sam, who'd made the half-hour drive from Scarsdale, help round up the kids in order to take them all to school. “Does everyone have their backpacks and lunch sacks?” All of the kids, including Tali, bob their heads in affirmative responses before the two women escort them all out via the front door.

Once they leave after splitting up all eleven of the kids, a group going into Sam's van while the other gets into Abby's, Jubal heads back downstairs to where he watches Maggie walk toward the open door of his bathroom.

Before she can disappear inside, however, Jubal is grasping her hand to lead Maggie back over to his bed. “You deserve so much more than the shower, Mags, and more than a quickie before work,” he says hoarsely, speaking against Maggie's lips just before capturing her lips with his own.

“So let's wait,” Maggie replies, her own voice just as hoarse. “I'm sure Abiola and Samantha won't mind watching the kids for us tonight.”

“That sounds good enough for me,” Jubal says with a smile that Maggie reciprocates before the two of them go take individual showers, get dressed and head to work, separately.

* * *

Jubal sure as hell wasn't drunk but each new kiss he exchanged with Maggie is just as intoxicating as the ones that came before. But now, as the song “Crazy Love” by Ray Charles & Van Morrison plays in the background, Jubal realizes how lucky he is. With Maggie, with his kids, with having a steady job he thoroughly likes. Running the pad of his fingertips in grazing caresses down the bare flesh of Maggie's back, Jubal lets out a low groan with each dip and swirl of Maggie's tongue against his own.

She definitely surpassed every expectation he could think of and had since day one. Now Jubal hopes that he won't screw this relationship up like he'd done with Samantha. “Jubal…” he hears Maggie speak in a low tone, pulling him from his deep, heavy thoughts and he opens his eyes to stare into hers. “I can hear the grinding squeak of the wheels turning in your head. What's on your mind?”

“I'm realizing what a lucky man I am,” Jubal replies, nuzzling his lips against Maggie's in a soft and tender manner. And then he's reclaiming the lips before his very face; hands passionate in their caresses as Jubal's tall and muscular frame gently presses Maggie to lay back, among the mess that are the covers on his bed. He follows moments later with one quick peck to her lips before trailing his own along the brief length of Maggie's strong jaw. Jubal smirks to himself at the way she reacts by attempting to divert him back to her lips but he has other plans.

Giving her another quick, sweet peck on the lips, Jubal angles his head into a tilt and begins a trail of moist kisses. Starting at the sensitive spot behind Maggie's ear, Jubal begins moving downward; his tongue darting out briefly on occasion to leave moisture behind. At the juncture where Maggie's neck slopes into her shoulder, Jubal gives her flesh a gentle love bite before continuing to move downward.

His trail stops once more briefly at her collarbone, where Jubal gives Maggie's flesh gentle nips from his teeth. Continuing his intentional trail further south, Jubal adds soft and sensual caresses to the previously passionate ones while tugging away at the belt, button and zipper of her dark slacks. Pressing more kisses to the flesh exposed, Jubal keeps going with his intentional downward trail; moistening her flesh on occasion. “J…Jubal…” Maggie's hoarse, begging plea reaches Jubal's ears but he doesn't divert his attention from his current task of pleasuring her.

As soon as Jubal has gotten everything off of Maggie's lower half, Jubal takes a brief but deep inhale of her aroused nub. Then he's nuzzling at her dark, curly pubic bone before probing his tongue deep between her nether lips. Maggie does her best to keep still other than to come her fingers through his hair. Her hips twitch and squirm but Jubal's hands move to firmly hold Maggie's pelvis in place. After a few minutes, Maggie's hips tense up and a soft cry of pleasure emerges from her throat as her hands fling out on either side of her slender body frame. She curls both sets of fingers around the soft silk bed sheets as her orgasm surges through and Jubal keeps her going before Maggie covers her mouth with one hand to hide the loud moan that emerges from her throat.

Once Maggie floats back down from her climatic orgasm, her head turns to watch a now standing Jubal disrobing what remains of the clothes he has on. Returning to her Jubal removes Maggie's blouse, bra and sits her up to take down the French braid plait her hair is donned with. “You're absolutely stunning right now,” he says in a hoarse voice.

Maggie's lips curl upward into a soft smile. “That's the sexual tension talking,” she whispers.

“It's the truth,” Jubal whispers in response. Maggie nods before they tumble to the bed together in a tangle of limbs and deep, toe-curling kisses with one purpose in mind: drive the other wild with desire.

They both end up succeeding as Jubal reaches out toward the top drawer of his bedside nightstand. Maggie stops him before he is able to pull the drawer out with a firm grip on the wrist and gently caresses his forearm. “I'm clean and on the pill,” she whispers.

“All the same, I'd rather not hear the end of it from my sister and ex-wife,” Jubal replies, giving her lips a quick peck before grabbing a group of condoms. Ripping one with a tug of his teeth, Jubal slides it carefully up the length of his erection with minimal help from Maggie.

Sitting back a little, somewhat to tease Maggie, but also to truly admire the woman who lays sprawled out before him. After a few strokes from his hand, Jubal finally eases himself into the quite soaked opening of Maggie's nether lips. Maggie brings both of her legs up to wrap around Jubal's hips, adjusting herself to accommodate him.

He smiles softly at her and slides himself slowly back out before thrusting back in with a slight groan. After letting Maggie adjust to his size a bit more, Jubal begins a steady and gentle rhythm of rocking his pelvis back and forth against Maggie's.

Staring into Maggie's eyes as he moves, Jubal sees a quick flash of their future together and it makes him smile. Maggie smiles in response, having seen her own version of their future together.

Both of their climaxes send Maggie and Jubal into a tailspin down a peak, ripping moan after moan from Maggie's throat. Jubal groans in response, squeezing one of her breasts at the same time his other hand slinks its way down between their fervently rocking bodies to pinch the bundle of nerves his cock is clenched between. “Jubal!” Maggie cries out passionately.

“Maggie…” Jubal groans out.


End file.
